Antoinette Bellegarde
__NOEDITSECTION__ Antoinette Bellegarde Daughter of Asteria and Asteriae (This Character Belongs to Hyu) History : Joachim Bellagarde was every girl’s soldier in shining French armor. He is a bulky, muscled man in his mid-twenties. He was put in the military by the wish of his parents so that he can serve Paris’ military. He was put in harsh training and restless practices in combat. Upon reaching the age of twenty-three, he was stationed to be one of the sentry guards at the famous Parisian prison during the early, middle and late medieval times: Bastille. The military was led by one of the governors of Bastille, Bernard René Jourdan marquis de Launay, who is also the commander of the garrison of the fortress. The government at the time was led by King Louis XVI, a Bourbon monarch who both ruled France and Navarre, a kingdom located between Spain and France and possibly beside the small independent country of Andorra. Joachim was always at sentry work all week and slept under the roofs of the fortress itself. There are lucky times where another soldier was placed on his assigned spot. During these times, he was able to visit his family living five hundred meters from the Bastille. They were an average family with simple necessities in life. Joachim was a good son to his parents, Charles and Marie Bellagarde. He was the second of four children and was the most favored by both his parents and siblings. He was a kind, humble and protective young man. He had everything he always wanted in life; but there is one more piece in his puzzle that hasn’t still been put in place: a woman he could love and live with forever. On the realm of the gods, there was one goddess who was piqued by Joachim’s handsomeness and kindness: Asteria, titan of the stars and of prophecies. |- | Other |- | |} : She watched him ever since he began his sentry work at the Bastille and even descended to Earth a few times as a rich and beautiful French lady to come and have a closer look at him. Joachim, on the other hand, was stunned by her beauty but never got the courage to get to know her. She continued to watch him in the heavens while Joachim searched for this beautiful young woman, but no one in Paris ever knew her. At his free times, he asked some of the people in the city who this woman is. He repeatedly described her appearance: flowing long black hair tied into braids and some to a bun, wears elegant pink and white-colored gown, pretty tall, pale skin and bright blue eyes. As Paris is a whole big city, the people just replied that there are many ladies with appearances like that so they couldn’t give relevant information about the one’s he is looking for. Out of frustration and depression, he forced to forget this beautiful woman and continue on with his life. On the other hand, Asteria saw that he is persevering to search her in Paris but ended in vain. She now decided to see him and get to know him, once and for all, to rekindle his spirits again. : Asteria descended back to Earth, still mortal appearance like before. As she passed by a bakeshop, the baker, who was actually one of the people Joachim asked, saw her and realized one must be the woman Joachim is looking for. He decided to approach to her and said to her that a soldier at the Bastille is looking for her. Asteria, acting like an innocent lady, gone with the flow of the conversation and asked where is the way to the Bastille. The baker pointed the way to the fortress in which she followed quickly. As she knew the location already, she reached it quickly and without difficulty. Upon reaching the gates, the guards asked her what her purpose is in going there is. She said that she is looking for a soldier named Joachim. One of the soldiers asked her to wait as he is going to get him. Joachim was on his break time with the other soldiers when the gate soldier asked him to go to the gates. Joachim wondered why he is needed there as the gates are not his assigned spot ever. Nonetheless, he went with him there. Upon reaching the gates and saw Asteria, it hit him. She was it. She was the woman he’d been looking for a long time. The two gate guards took some steps back as they thought it was his girlfriend and that they shouldn’t interfere. She introduced herself as Dominique Beuharnais. She said that he was looking for her. Joachim instantly mustered up his courage and explained why he was looking for her. He said “The first glance I took at you, I was mesmerized by your beauty. Your simplicity, but sheer elegance captured my heart.” Asteria was touched by the words and confessed that she’d been watching on him at different times. But Joachim asked why she suddenly disappeared in his sight. He also added that he searched the whole city just to find her. She replied “I was too shy to look at you for longer times. I’m sorry it caused you so much trouble, to look for me in the whole of Paris.” They eventually confessed their long kept feelings for each other and fell in love. : They started going out when Joachim has the time, which Dominique (we use this as Asteria’s name for now) understood because of his strict profession. When they’ve fully met and understood each other, Joachim introduced her to his family. Charles and Marie were very happy that Joachim managed to get a girl that is so beautiful and very lady-like. They were very eager to have them married, but not until they meet her parents. His siblings were very eager too. Dominique now has to make the right answer, as they shouldn’t know she is a goddess. But it was easy enough for her. She reasoned that her parents were at Toulouse and she went to Paris and live here alone. Charles and Marie have no choice but to marry them without Dominique’s parents’ consent. They arranged their marriage two months ahead of time and will be held at the Notre Dame of Paris Cathedral. Their marriage’s funds were supported by the Bellagarde’s friends, close relatives and some of the soldier families Joachim is acquaintances with. Dominique went to live at the Bellagarde’s house until the wedding while Joachim continued his sentry work. They visited the Notre Dame to converse with the organizers of the wedding once a week so that their wedding will be properly held and that no flaws or problems will arise upon the wedding day. The economy of France faced major crises due to the intervening of the American Revolution and exacerbated by a regressive system of taxation, which Louis XIV faced during his reign as king. Due to this, the funds of the wedding started to crash and eventually, the wedding lost its supporters. : Charles and Marie did everything they can to resume their wedding, but the taxation and failing economy of France kept them from doing this. They had no choice but to postpone their wedding until the crises have been resolved. They saved their wedding funds so that less money will be needed when their wedding is resumed. Joachim and Dominique weren’t happy about the news, but they treated each other like they were married couples so it was somehow the same. One night, Joachim was released from the Bastille for a day off and came over to his home. He and Dominique shared Joachim’s bed in his room, which was big enough for them. Here, it all happened. They had an unexpected affair and after three days, Dominique was confirmed to be pregnant. Joachim’s parents were happy to know that they were going to have a grandchild so they did everything to prepare the new baby. Joachim asked permission from Bernard to have more days off as his future wife is pregnant and needs assistance. He was granted permission to do so. He now had more time with her. He took care of her and the unborn baby all the time. He fixed meals for her, guided her when going down the stairs and even played with the baby to cheer her up. He also led her around Paris, showing her the beautiful sceneries and landmarks. Dominique really loved him for everything he’d done for her, but she knew there comes a time she had to leave them. : As months progressed, the baby inside Dominique’s womb grew. The economy was still no good for their wedding to be resumed. Louis XIV is doing all that he can do to resolve the problems his country is facing. But as the baby grew, Dominique’s pregnancy became more risky. There are times her womb hurts and sometimes she bleeds. Joachim was scared the baby might be miscarried and dies. He paid more attention on her now and asked more days off from sentry work. He promised Bernard that he will go back to the Bastille once Dominique has given birth. Dominique was now on bed arrest, as Joachim’s family feared that something might happen to her and the baby. The nine months were completed for her pregnancy and she gave birth to a bouncing baby girl whom she and Joachim named Antoinette on the fourth of June in the year 1773. As Joachim couldn’t take care of her and their newborn child when they move to a new home because of his promise to the governor, Charles and Marie happily requested Dominique to stay at their home for as long as she likes. Joachim came back to the Bastille and continued his soldier work while Dominique helped his parents on the chores and of taking care of Antoinette. The baby girl was quiet and only cried when hungry, so they have nothing to worry about her. She is born healthy and strong so they feared nothing will happen to her. Joachim never takes off his eyes on Antoinette when he comes home. He played with her and fed her. : After a month, with still no economic progress, Dominique decided it was time to leave them. She wrote a letter, telling them that she received a message from her mother saying that her father dying and she has to come home. She told them that she will be back soon. She packed up her things and disappeared in the darkness of night, coming home to the Island of Delos. Joachim and his family read the letter and sadly waited for her to come back. Years passed and Antoinette was now a young girl. She was studying at an average school a mile away from their home. She has grown into a young, elegant girl. She was also smart, witty and clever, in which Joachim was very proud of. She keeps asking Joachim about her mother. He just replied that she is away from Paris, taking care of many things. Joachim couldn’t contain his sadness. Dominique wasn’t coming home and fears rushed through his mind all the time: What if she died? What if she met another man? What if her parents disagree with her current status and don’t want her to come back to Paris? Many more fearful questions ran around his head that he began to become ignorant of his work. Asteria saw all of this, and decided to finish their relation. : She came back to Paris with a letter with her, saying that her parents couldn’t agree with their marriage and that someone was planned to be her spouse while she was away. She was deeply sorry for the sadness she caused to them but she couldn’t do anything. She entrusted Antoinette to them, saying that to take care of her be like her mother. She secretly went in their house and left the letter. She then came back to the Island of Delos as she waits for Antoinette to grow. When Joachim read this, he was completely broken. He cried for a long time, longing to see her again. But he realized that she has a new life and that he mustn’t stay on the past or else it will hurt him further. He moved on and raised Antoinette by himself, with the complete support of his family. They cancelled the wedding, as the French economy is getting nowhere and that they need the saved wedding funds for their daily necessities. Antoinette has now grown into a beautiful young lady. She kept her beautiful appearance simple and not vain and wore simple gowns. She was liked by her classmates and teachers at school and was more liked by her family and relatives. She still asks for her mother’s whereabouts but Joachim still reasoned the same answer he told her before. Even though she believes him, she still longs for her as she wants her family to be complete. : She was now sixteen years old, with still the beautiful and simple but elegant appearance, lady-like attitude and kindness. Many young gentlemen are falling for her beauty and kindness, but she turned them all down, as she wants to grow a bit older before getting mixed up in boys, romance and marriage. She still has that clever mind with her and has gained talents at music and painting. She comes to visit the Bastille from time to time to visit her father, who is now doing well. Joachim is very fond of her, as she resembles her mother more than him. Although he still thinks of her, he doesn’t view her leaving as a negative one. Instead, it gave him more realization that this is what it a father does and that he shouldn’t be too dependent on her. France’s economy still hasn’t made much progress until now, which made their lives harder. Charles and Marie have to work as helpers in a restaurant while Joachim’s siblings worked different jobs at different times. Antoinette has to work part time as a cashier at a café. The Bellagarde Family did everything to keep up with their needs. Then the year 1789 came, the year where Antoinette’s life will be changed forever. : On the fifth of May, 1789 the Estates-General of 1789 decided to deal with France’s economic issue, but were held back by archaic protocols and conservatism of the Second Estate, which consisted of the nobility and amounting to 2% of France’s population at the time. On the seventh of June, 1789, the Third Estate reconstituted themselves as the National Assembly, a body whose purpose was the creation of a French constitution. King Louis XIV initially opposed this development, but was forced to acknowledge the authority of the assembly, which subsequently renamed itself the National Constituent Assembly on the ninth of July. The Bastille represented the royal authority of Paris so no one knew it would cause the start of the French Revolution. On the early morning of the fourteenth of July, Antoinette went to the Bastille to run an errand for her father. But upon reaching the fortress, she was shocked to see a mob of great number was gathering around the gates of the Bastille. Shouting was heard around the entrance. She sensed that there is trouble arising so she went back home. : Around noon, she heard the sound of gunfire and screaming. She looked out the window and saw people running away. She went out to see the commotion and saw that the Bastille was under attack. Fire raged on the fortress as guns continued to fire and smoke and gunpowder covering the fortress. She then realized that her father is there and was very worried that he might get shot and die so she ran head on to the Bastille despite her family’s yelling for her to come back. She took cover in the walls and managed to get in the gates. She panicked as she ran, trying to avoid the bullets and covering her face when smoke appears after gunfire. Her clothes were singed and full of ash and her face too, but she ignored all of these and continued to look for her father. But when she saw her father at the end of the courtyard, her worst fears came true. Joachim was shot on the chest and was left for dead. She tried to retrieve him but unfortunately, she was shot by a stray bullet on the stomach and fell in front of her dead father. She tried getting up, but was stepped on by some running soldiers. She reached for her father’s hand weakly and held it. Before she breathed her last, she said “Mom, wherever you are, I’m sorry you won’t come back to see us alive…” As the capture of the Bastille began to cease, she closed her eyes and died a very brave young lady, just to get her father back. : Asteria, on the other hand, saw all of this happen. She wept for her dead daughter and regretted that she left them and never even told them her identity. She then thought of a great idea. She was proud of her daughter’s bravery to enter a fortress under a siege alone so she decided to turn her into a star nymph. It was her gift for her final sacrifice for Joachim when she attempted to get his body back. After Antoinette’s burial, she started to revive and recreate her as a star nymph. But since Antoinette mustn’t come back to Paris because her family will go crazy; she couldn’t be dropped off somewhere else because of great risk that she may fall into the wrong person’s hands and that they may discover her powers. She decided to still not wake her up in her “sleep” and wait for the right time for the right place where she belongs. Although Camp Half-Blood was already there waiting for her, she thought it was not the right time because she wants her life to be easier, not the life she used to have while in Paris. So for the time being, she rested her body in one of the stars in the sky. : While in her “sleep”, Antoinette had a dream. Her dream was that she was talking with Asteria, only that they were in Paris. She then explained her identity and hers. She explained why she has to leave her and Joachim. In short, she explained everything that she needs to know, especially what she did to her after her death. At first, Antoinette couldn’t believe everything she said, as it all seemed impossible. She didn’t believe in this kind of things. But her awe and amazement took over her. This dream occurred for two hundred and eleven years. At the year two thousand, Asteria decided to wake her up and put her in Camp Half-Blood. She knew this was the time where she belonged. She went to the starry sky and retrieved her fully recreated body from the star she rested in. At once, Antoinette woke up at the forest near camp, where she remembered her dream and her past life. She also noticed that Asteria gave something to her: a beautiful golden lace fan that served as her weapon and tool when using her newly-given powers to control the heavenly shining stars. : Antoinette now resides at Camp Half-Blood, her second home and her second life. Asteria turned her into a star nymph for a reason: bravery, courage and valiance in the midst of very great danger. She also thought that this was the time for her to realize her true self as a demigod. Asteria even hailed her a heroine, even though what she did was something very small and even if no one in the world knew of her heroic deed. She expects that history will repeat itself, so that Antoinette can save many lives when she put her powers into good use. She maybe a sweet, kind and caring young woman, but she has lots of courage to be reckoned with. With this unfailing virtue, she can prove to her mother that reviving her was worth the time and effort. Personality : Antoinette is the kind of girl every parent would wish for in their life. She is a lady, inside and outside. She respects her chastity and doesn't fall easily to young men who wish for her hand. She puts her family before herself and love life. She is gentle, humble and respectful not only at home but also at her Parisian society. She is very diligent and hardworking in her studies and takes challenges, problems and trials with sheer will, unfailing determination and unwavering faith. On top of all, her greatest trait is her bravery, valiance and courage. Like said before, she faces challenges with determination. She doesn't give up easily, even if it has risks. She will do anything to help her family and of course, herself as well. Possessions : He's not the close-range type of guy so he uses a weapon that is uncommonly or rarely used at camp: a sling shot. It can turn into a necklace when in disguise. The main body is made of Essence wood while the stretchable part is made of very durable and damage-free rubber. His ammunition consists of the following: simple rocks, smokescreen bombs, explosive bombs, poison smoke bombs and many more. Powers, Abilities and Traits : Being an Asteriae, she: #can know all of the stars and constellations in the night sky. #can tell the time, date, and her location simply by looking at the sky. #has the ability to summon miniature stars which can be thrown like a weapon; the stars, however, dissipate quickly. #is able to turn into pure star light for a short time during the night or during the day if in the presence of Astraeus or Asteria or one of their children. While in this state, she is granted flight and immune to all attacks; however, once she changes back she will be extremely drained and immobile for a long time. #has the ability to summon a cluster of miniature stars directly in front of her which can be used to block incoming attacks; the stars, however, dissipate quickly. #has the ability to create temporary light sources, similar to concept of a flare, which will alight an area for a short time. #can see perfectly in the night as if it were day. #always know her location when the stars are out. #is innately stronger during the night. #remains eternally young. As she is a nymph she does not age. #is generally not connected to a specific star so her life force is not as at risk as that of a tree or flower nymph. However, she can still be killed in battle or of serious injuries. #has telepathic/empathetic connection with nature and other nymphs. 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